


When the Night is Over

by starwolf626



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:13:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26519563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starwolf626/pseuds/starwolf626
Summary: Defeating Team Inferno was not an easy task. Especially since it was a young boy going head to head against Inferno's fierce leader who was also the Chroma League Master. But somehow, someway...Young Sawyer Ahtos managed to bring down Fluminox, rescue his brother, and save all of Ferrum.However, the victory did not satisfy Sawyer. Oddly enough, it made him feel... Empty.And so, a confused boy seeks out a lost man to find final closure after long and exhausting conflict.





	When the Night is Over

_t's over. It's finally over._

Sawyer couldn't help but feel relief as he let out an exhausted laugh. Hearing the cheers and sounds of celebration behind him only fueled that relief. Inferno was dead. Defeated. Years of the endless terror it's caused Ferrum was finally over. It wasn't an easy task. Of course it wasn't. The grunts and soldiers of Inferno saw to that. As well as its leader.

_So many lives... Dead._

_Maybe him too._

Sebastian, Comet, Talon, Birch, and many others had waited for him. They all had smiles spread across their faces as Birch hugged the young boy. Sawyer chuckled as he relaxed in the strong arms of the jolly professor.

"We did! We actually did it!" Birch spoke, happy they had gained the victory against the Team Inferno. Sawyer was too relieved to respond and just wanted to relax. When Birch finally let go, Sawyer felt the strong hand of his brother pat his back as Sebastian chuckled a little too proudly for Sawyer's liking.

"Great job, brother. Ferrum is safe now and it's all thanks to you. Man, I wish I could've seen the look on Fluminox's face when you beat him!" That statement and the excitement in his elder brother's voice made Sawyer frown.

Fluminox.

He remembered the broken gaze the man held all too well. _Do you want to see the fear on his face? The anger? The sadness? Take your pick, Sebastian._

"I'm just glad it's finally over." Sawyer smiled as he looked down at the bruises on his body and his torn clothing that said it all. He was ready for some downtime.

He traced his hand over a cut that was inflicted by Fluminox during their fight. He had noticed old scars that rested on the man's wrists and arms while they were close. He wondered if it was Sebastian to blame for them or the fact that Fluminox was so broken that he found comfort in harming himself. Then he remembered the stories Sebastian would tell him about his time as Fluminox's comrade.

_So much history between them. Did Fluminox decide to keep the scars left by Sebastian?_

Talon cleared his throat, "I think this victory calls for a celebration." The old man's suggestion brought smiles to many faces as one of the men pumped his fist to the air.

"Hell yeah!"

This was followed by many other cheers of agreement. Sawyer, on the other hand, just smiled. He was too relieved to speak and just wanted rest. He followed the others away from the wreckage behind him. It was once an old abandoned ironworks factory before Inferno decided to remake it into a fortified military base. Though, as the boy followed the crowd, he couldn't help but feel an emptiness claw at his chest and settle there with the weight of a black hole.

_Shouldn't I be happy I stopped Fluminox? He was so close to destroying Ferrum!_

_"Why? Why are you always hounding me? I strived for this moment, trying to perfect my vision! I spent years and years gaining this chance to finally escape this obscured state! Yet you're still here!"_

Fluminox's words echoed within Sawyer's mind, and they didn't sit well with him. _Years and years..._

_He was so desperate, but why? He said it himself, he had nothing to lose._

Sawyer rubbed his forehead as his gaze dropped to the ground. _He's just one man who was demented and deranged, this shouldn't bother me. It's like Sebastian said, he didn't have the capacity for good._

_Right?_

"Sawyer."

Sawyer looked up and to the side, where Comet was looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you okay?"

Sawyer just sighed and rubbed his hands over his face.

"Something just isn't sitting right with me."

"What is it?" Sawyer sighed once again. He knew that answer was coming.

"I don't really know... I can't put it into words."

"Well, I've been told I'm a pretty good listener, despite my little quirk." Comet smiled, chuckling to ease the tension Sawyer was wrapped up in. The professor certainly was humble, Sawyer couldn't fault him for that. Nevertheless, the boy sighed.

"Okay."

"Try to tell me what's going on," Comet spoke to him, placing a hand on Sawyer's tense shoulder. They had lagged behind the crowd and started to walk more slowly.

"I should be happy that I stopped Fluminox and saved the region, but I don't. I feel..." Sawyer motioned to his chest with his hands. "Empty."

"Do you have a lot of history with him?

"Not really... I didn't know him as well as Sebastian, or even at all for that matter. But from what I did see, he looked so... Broken. Hurt. Destroyed. You catch my drift?"

"Kind of... I'm guessing you hate him, just like your brother does. Wouldn't blame you though." Comet spoke, scratching at his chin. Sawyer didn't respond at first. He didn't think Fluminox was a monster, unlike Sebastian. Sure, the man did bad things but he wasn't a monster.

"Yeah, uh... No." Conflicting thoughts forced their way through Sawyer's head. "I don't know." Comet hummed.

"How did fighting Fluminox make you feel?"

"Truthfully, I didn't want to fight Fluminox at first. I had hoped it wouldn't have to come to that. I had hoped I could've convinced him otherwise. That he was better than this." Sawyer looked up at the night sky. "I wanted to convince him that I could help him turn over a new leaf. I guess I expected too much." Comet was quiet at first. He remembered seeing Fluminox sit there on the grassy hill, watching as his life's work burned. In a way, he felt sorry for Fluminox. He had a lot of potential. More so than Sebastian did. Even someone as forgetful as Comet could see that.

"Maybe it isn't too late for that. He might just be... I don't know. Lost, perhaps." The professor shrugged, fixing his glasses.

"Lost?" Pieces started to fit in the puzzle going on in Sawyer's mind.

"I mean, he's out there somewhere. He went from Ferrum to Hoenn and then back to Ferrum. Now, no one knows where he's disappeared to. Can't get any more lost than that."

Sawyer blinked. Fluminox's hurt, angered, and broken expression started to race through his mind, and guilt surged.

"I need to think." That earned a nod from Comet as the professor patted his shoulder.

"I understand. I hope to find what you're looking for."

"Thanks for listening to me, Comet."

"Anytime."

Comet shot Sawyer a smile before walking away to rejoin the others as they cheered and laughed about how damn lucky they were to have survived this whole ordeal. Sawyer stayed behind though, needing to recollect his thoughts. He glanced back at the burning building behind him which, by now, was nothing but a glowing spec in the distance. He heard thunder clap overhead, assuming a thunderstorm was on its way. He didn't really pay much mind to that though. He was too busy thinking about the events that had occurred. About Fluminox.

Fluminox.

Sawyer remembered everything he did so vividly. His expression, his tone of voice, his actions. He looked so desperate. Sounded so broken. Acted so... Lost and demented. He wasn't what Sebastian described him, Sawyer would admit to that. The boy wondered what else Fluminox's desperation to overpass his brother drove him to do. Nothing worse than trying to commit genocide, hopefully. Right?

Sawyer sighed, pressing his hands to his face.

_What the heck do I do now?_

~•~•~

As expected, a big celebration was held in Neos Square the next night. Music, food, people, everything. It was most likely the first of the many festivities Ferrum would have for years to come. Though, Sawyer wasn't in the mood for the festivities. He just wanted to lay down and rest. But, Sebastian insisted he'd come since he was technically the hero that saved them all so to make his brother happy, he went against his better judgment and joined the people in the celebration.

He watched as other people danced and chatted, sitting alone at a small round table. He sighed to himself and looked down at his drink, his thoughts still going haywire about the Inferno events. He glanced up at the sky. Storm clouds again. That'll cut the celebration short, no doubt. Oh well, what could he do? It's not like his power could control the weather.

The young boy sighed, staring inside of the glass cup he had in his hand before a strong hand patted his back, breaking him away from his train of thought.

"Hey, little bro. Why the long face?" Sawyer sighed with a small smile.

"Hey, Sebastian..." Sebastian sat down next to him, holding a glass of Scotch in his hand. Typical.

"Saw you sitting here all alone. Figured you could use some company."

_That's the exact opposite of what I need._

"I'm just thinking, is all."

"About Inferno?"

"...Yes."

"Ah, come on, Sawyer. Loosen up. It's over now, alright? You don't need to dwell on it anymore." Sebastian chuckled. Sawyer couldn't help but mentally frown. How could Sebastian act so... Joyful after what had happened? People died in that fight yet he didn't seem to care. Maybe he was a little too tipsy at the moment to know any better. He was drinking Scotch all night after all. Though, once again, the voice of his brother broke his train of thought.

"Stop acting so mopey. Come on, hang with me!" Sawyer couldn't help but lightly chuckle.

"And hang around your ugly mug all night? No thanks, I'd rather sit here all by my little lonesome." He joked to which Sebastian grinned like a dork, placing a hand on his chest as if he was wounded.

"Brutal, bro." The two brothers chuckled before Sebastian patted Sawyer's back.

"Well, I'm going to walk around and see how Comet and Talon are doing. Enjoy the party." Sebastian stood up and walked away, leaving Sawyer alone. The young boy sighed, looking down. All was quiet for him now, and Sawyer was forced to recognize his thoughts. They clashed and fought in his head to take center stage among the whirlwind of chaos. His head began to pound.

_"Why are you always hounding me?"_

_Because it hurts to see you so desperate._

The response was instant and it slapped him in the face. He blinked as the words rattled and shook around in his mind, leaving him more confused than before. He looked down.

_What are you doing to me? Sebastian told me to resent you._

No answers. Sawyer sighed and looked to the crowd. Maybe if he were to go back to that old building, he'd find his answers. He wanted to know. _Why was he alone?_

_Fluminox... You've lost your way again, haven't you?_

_~•~•~_

Going back to the Inferno base was... Not as easy as one would think. It still made Sawyer uneasy. He was wearing a heavy jacket due to the pouring rain as he approached the old burnt building. Most of the ceiling had collapsed but apart from that, it looked... Kind of sturdy. Sawyer shivered a little from the rain as he entered the building. The first thing he noticed was the smell. It was surprisingly forestry.

It was like a bitter mixture of metal, pine needles, and rubber. He couldn't describe it. The next thing he noticed was the fact that he felt another presence there with him. And it made Sawyer's heart leap into his throat.

_It's him. It has to be._

Sawyer walked around, the ash from the fire beforehand sticking to his shoes. He shivered a little. There were a few places that still lit with weak fire. Embers were still glowing, though only weakly. Sawyer sighed. _Why am I here? Why did I even think to come here?_

His answer was answered by a gruff yet familiar voice that made his heart start racing.

"Come to finish me off, eh?"

Sawyer swallowed and followed the source of the voice to see a shivering figure in the corner of the building, just under a small piece of roof that was protecting them from the rain.

"F-Fluminox?"

Sawyer heard a chuckle as he made it past the giant gap in the ceiling that was pouring rain onto the ashy ground.

"Aww, you were looking for me. Cute." Heat rushed to Sawyer's face.

"You're going to do this again? Here?"

"Why'd you come back?" Fluminox's voice grew soft.

Sawyer blinked when he stopped in front of Fluminox. The man had nothing to shield himself from the cold or the rain. No blankets, no jackets, nothing. That torn tank shirt he was wearing wasn't helping either.

_At this rate, he'll freeze to death._

Sawyer could see the cuts and bruises all over the man's body. They weren't hard to miss as dull red copper eyes bored into Sawyer's own. The boy's throat went dry.

"Uh..."

"Guess it's time for me to face the music." Fluminox closed his eyes, shivering as he hugged his drenched body. "And I just wanted some peace and quiet."

"I just wanted to talk to you." The words spilled out of Sawyer's mouth before he could think. Fluminox snorted.

"Yeah, sure. Tell me how fucking terrible I did and how fucking horrible I am."

Any anger Sawyer might've felt vanished as he gazed upon the broken man huddled in the corner. He sat down next to Fluminox and hugged his knees to his chest.

"What are you doing?"

_What the hell are you doing, Sawyer?_ He stayed silent.

"Why are you chasing me?" Fluminox's voice hitched when his mouth let the words escape him.

Sawyer looked over and saw the broken man break even more. He was still bleeding from the injury on his scalp. Anger and frustration, even sadness, were scrawled all over his face.

"Leaving you to die during the battle felt wrong then and leaving you to die here feels wrong now."

"But why are you chasing me? You're the hero. You've won. Isn't that enough? Can't you just leave me alone?" Sawyer felt his breath hitch. He had heard Fluminox say those words before.

_"Leave me alone! You're the hero, you've won! Isn't that enough?!"_

Sawyer's chest started to ache. He wanted to reach out and touch Fluminox, but he couldn't. _I don't even have a damn answer!_

Sawyer just sat there next to Fluminox without saying a word. His anger had evaporated and was replaced with consuming sadness.

"I just want to help you. You feel lost, don't you?"

"Who the hell says that?" Fluminox turned away from Sawyer. The answer was too quick.

"Why'd you do all of this? Inferno? What was your plan?"

"Make Sebastian pay for everything he's done to me," Fluminox growled. The response made Sawyer roll his eyes unintentionally.

"Did you really think committing genocide and attempting to murder him would work?"

No response. Sawyer looked over to see Fluminox staring at the floor.

"I can understand why you feel like-"

"I was desperate, alright?" Fluminox huffed, curling into himself. "I was." Sawyer nodded a little and leaned back against the metal wall.

"Your worldview was and still is shattered. I get it."

Sawyer stared up at the collapsed ceiling, watching as the rain poured down as the words came more easily. Something was telling him to just talk to Fluminox and understand. Try as he might, he could not find any hatred within himself to dish out.

"It's happened to me too." Fluminox finally looked over at Sawyer with a raised eyebrow. Sawyer's heart stuttered and started to beat faster.

"What else could I have done?" Fluminox asked, "There's nothing left for me."

"I... I don't know. But it feels like a waste to invest in something that was doomed to fail." Sawyer hummed and stroked his chin. "All you had was anger and a half-baked plan to terrorize both Ferrum and Sebastian into submission. Look where that got you."

"Why the hell do you care so much?" Fluminox pressed his hands to his face and growled. "Why are you chasing me?"

"I don't know." Sawyer felt empty as Fluminox's words stabbed through him. _I'm losing him._

"But we've got plenty of time to talk. I don't really have any plans tonight." Sawyer spoke as Fluminox sighed. The man moved his hands away from his face, just lifelessly setting them in his lap. His face was downcast, which surprised Sawyer. _Fluminox looks so defeated._

"You want to know how hard my life's been ever since I met your brother?" He finally looked at Sawyer with a neutral face. Sawyer felt his stomach twist up as he nodded. Fluminox closed his eyes and sighed.

"Fine. It's been pretty damn horrid."

Sawyer winced. _All this time, I've just been listening to Sebastian's side of the story but never bothered to wonder what Fluminox's side of the story was like. Sebastian made him seem like he was an attention-craving monster but he doesn't seem like one now. I wonder, what else has Sebastian been lying about?_

"I had no family growing up. I was abandoned in a box at an orphanage when I was just an infant. I grew up thinking my mom would come for me and when she never did, I escaped to Hoenn. I thought my life was going to get better there. It didn't. I'll spare you the introductions and get straight to the point. I was a student of Birch, along with Sebastian. I figured that if I wanted to do something with my life, I could become a pokemon trainer and be like the heroes you read about in those cheesy adventure novels, battling gyms and eventually becoming champion."

"What happened?"

"Your brother happened. Apparently, he was just the perfect being. He always excelled in his studies while I was left in the dust. Birch didn't really care for my work anymore, Sebastian was his whole world. I just ended up being the professor's errand boy. And everything just continued downhill when we went to study with Talon. As expected, Talon was so wowed by Sebastian's prowess, he didn't bother to see what I had to offer. So, one night, I decided to quit being the old man's student and teach myself. Though knowing how pathetic I am, my self-teaching only took me so far, and pretty soon, I was shoved into Sebastian's shadow once again. While I became the Chroma League Master, Sebastian went ahead and became the Grand Master. I had nothing left. I have never once defeated him in battle. No matter how hard I tried, his stupid, smug face always came out on top. And Talon kept acting all disappointed in me like he was there to teach me the whole time when he wasn't!" Fluminox's voice hitched and Sawyer could see he was trying not to cry.

"So you decided Inferno would be your last chance to overpass Sebastian." Fluminox nodded a little in response to this.

"Very astute observation, pipsqueak."

"So you were lost, huh?" Sawyer raised a bow and looked over to Fluminox, who was only a few inches away. How had they gotten so close?

"I've done a pretty messed up thing, haven't I?" Fluminox chuckled bitterly.

"You're human, Fluminox. Anyone else could've been in the same position. I could've been in the same position."

"But you weren't and now we're here."

"How did you think you were going to succeed through murdering innocent people because of what my brother did to you?" Sawyer crossed his arms and cocked his head.

"...I don't know." Fluminox shook his head and shivered.

_Did you just not care? Was this just self-destruction? Why would you do this?_

Why was there such a stabbing pain in Sawyer's chest?

"Any regrets?"

"Far too many."

Sawyer bit his lip and looked down.

"Do you... Do you mind sharing?" _Oh, clever one. What's next, are you going to ask him his favorite food or color?_

"Like I've got any other choice." Fluminox sunk further into himself. The thunder above seemed to grow louder. Fluminox sighed.

"I shouldn't have left the orphanage. Never should have gone to Hoenn. Never should've become a pokemon trainer. Never should've even dreamed of it. I should've just waited for a family. People who were willing to give me a chance." Fluminox looked down. "Should have kicked the bucket when I had the chance, shouldn't have tried to hurt y-" Fluminox stopped and Sawyer felt his heart skip a few beats. _What was he going to say?_

"W-What was that?" Sawyer edged closer, ever closer to Fluminox. They were almost touching now.

"Nothing. It's nothing. Just," Fluminox closed his eyes. "Just leave it alone." His voice cracked and faltered.

The air within the base seemed to grow even colder in the silence, and the rain just poured more and more. Sawyer felt both centimeters and light-years apart from that strange broken man who was shivering beside him In a bold move, Sawyer took off his jacket and wrapped it around Fluminox's shoulders before placing his hand on the man's arm.

"Did you... Not want to fight me?"

Fluminox was silent as a few tears streamed down his face. Sawyer felt a pit of despair well up in his stomach as his entire world fell apart in a darkened space. The boy wasn't sure what was real. If this was real. Was he just in bed, dreaming?

"I wasn't given a choice. I didn't have a choice. I did what I thought I had to do. It's like you told me before, I resort to anger and violence when I feel threatened." Fluminox didn't shrug off the hand but rather lean into the touch.

"So... We could've been..." _We didn't have to be enemies. Had I just reached out to his humanity, we could've been friends. Same for Sebastian. Maybe in another world, maybe in another life, maybe in another timeline._

"Yeah." Fluminox's voice was barely a whisper. "Almost." That whisper broke Sawyer's heart and sent something hot through his chest.

Sawyer wrapped his arms all the way around Fluminox and drew him close. The boy felt his chest explode and his face light up and everything in his mind was screaming at him not to do that, but something else made him.

Something he was afraid of.

Fluminox's breath hitched, but he didn't make any moves for a few minutes. But then Fluminox's facade and mask began to fall as he leaned into the hug. Something about that felt right.

Sawyer smiled and closed his eyes as he felt strong arms wrap around him. All of the tension melted away in the arms of the man he thought was an enemy.

"Thank you." It was soft, so unlike what he was used to.

"You're welcome."

_I was right. The man I encountered before really wasn't a monster. Just a man in need of guidance._

"So... What are you going to do now that Inferno is gone?" Sawyer decided to ask, resting his head against Fluminox's broad shoulder. He felt the man shrug.

"I don't really know. There's really nothing I can do. I'm a terrible trainer and I don't really have anything redeeming about me." Fluminox sighed. "I guess I should've known better. I should've known that no matter how hard I try, I will never be someone as great as Sebastian. Or someone at all..."

"Don't say that, Fluminox."

"But it's true, isn't it? I'm weak."

"No, you're not."

"Yes... I am."

"Fluminox, I swear to God, if you keep that talk up, I'm going to kiss living daylights out of you."

Both of them froze. Sawyer immediately looked down, blushing like crazy. Fluminox remained silent, a light blush dusting his cheeks. Neither of them said anything after that. After a little while, Fluminox let go and Sawyer sighed, reluctantly doing the same. The silence continued for a little while longer before Fluminox spoke.

"You still didn't say why you were here."

"It's complicated, I guess. I don't really get it myself." Sawyer swallowed as his heart pounded in his chest.

"I want to hear it anyway."

"After I defeated you and Inferno was taken down, I felt empty. I guess I was upset you'd go to those lengths to get back at Sebastian, and it hurt." Sawyer bit his lip while he paused. "I've been thinking that you're lost now. I want to help you."

"I didn't want to get the others involved. Didn't want to hurt you." Sawyer looked over and saw genuine regret and remorse in Fluminox's eyes. "I don't deserve to be forgiven after everything."

"Why create Inferno?"

"Ran with an idea. I hate the fact that Sebastian is sitting in the fancy chair above everyone else." Fluminox shrugged. Sawyer smiled.

"It is kinda fascist, isn't it?" Fluminox blinked and frowned at Sawyer.

"What? You don't like your brother? Thought you loved him to death."

"I do. But I don't agree with what he's done over the years. Ferrum citizens don't have much freedom. Well, they used to not have much freedom, at least."

"I guess."

"Do you regret what you did?" Sawyer clasped his hands together and cocked his head at Fluminox.

"Honestly, I regret it all. Hurting you especially." Fluminox looked at Sawyer with something new and different in his eyes. "Weird how it takes almost freezing to death to think of the heavy stuff."

Sawyer's face should've exploded by now; Why hadn't it done that yet? He felt hot enough to start sweating in the cold.

"Do you want to come back with me?" Sawyer smiled and scratched the back of his head.

"I'm going to be thrown into a cell and executed three days after, right?"

"I won't let that happen." Sawyer felt a flame ignite in his heart at the thought. _I can show everyone he has the capacity for forgiveness! That there's good in his heart! Comet can help me!_

"You won't go very far with me. I'm broken beyond repair. You have no reason to trust me."

"I saw a trustworthy person open up to me just now. I saw someone who does have good in him. I saw someone who can be fixed. I saw someone who I know I can help." Sawyer smiled. "You just have to let me."

"You're so naive, pipsqueak." Fluminox chuckled a little, shaking his head.

"Maybe." Sawyer shrugged.

"Okay, fine. I'll come with you. I don't have any other options anyway."

"Great!" Sawyer grinned. If he had a tail, it would be wagging. Fluminox couldn't help but chuckle a little. Sawyer was such a pure creature, compared to his brother. Fluminox wondered what the boy could've possibly seen in a broken man like himself. In Sawyer's eyes, Fluminox was quite the character. More than the failure everyone has made him out to be. Sawyer was studious and like the curious child he was, he loved to study the interesting. And Fluminox was by far the most interesting thing he's ever seen. He saw good in the strange broken man. While some would argue it didn't shine, Sawyer knew it was there. And he knew he could make it brighter.

This was... Metaphorically, the Beauty and the Beast. But, that's a story for another day.


End file.
